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Social Life in Ancient India: Studies in Vatsyayana's Kamasutra c8.s6.t4: Polygamy

Social Life in Ancient India: Studies in Vātsyāyana's Kāmasūtra c8.s6.t4

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Polygamy

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Polygamy appears to have been prevalent in Vātsyāyana’s days among the wealthy. Kings generally considered it a privilege to have a crowded harem, a harem “with a thousand spouses” is spoken of by Vātsyāyana.³ This is in line with what the *Lalita-vistara* says about Māyādevī that she was the best and greatest of the thousands of women of Śuddhodana. The *Buddhacarita* mentions the same fact though not in such extravagant terms.¹ Princes, high officials and the rich also married more than one wife. Vātsyāyana says that the wealthy people had generally a plurality of spouses who, outwardly no doubt, appeared to enjoy many objects of pleasure, but in reality, were very miserable indeed, as the husband was but one and the claimants to his affection were many; and he gives the sage advice that it is better to have a poor husband even though he may not have many qualities to recommend him than to have a clever man whose favours have to be shared with many.² A single wife for a wealthy man, however, was not unknown: we read in Vātsyāyana of a *nāgaraka* who may be devoted to one wife (*ekacārin*).³ Prince Nanda of the *Saundarananda-Kāvya* was such a person. The majority of the people appeared to have only one wife; but if she had no child, or if she bore only daughters and the continuity of the family was in danger, then the husband might marry again. In case of barrenness, Vātsyāyana counsels the wife herself to induce the husband to marry again and look upon the newly married bride as a younger sister.⁴ He advises a man with many wives not to be partial, neither to show any disregard towards any one in particular, nor to allow any offence on the part of any one of them to pass unnoticed.⁵

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³ Kāmasūtra, p. 41 (sūtra 22) ; also pp. 289-98.

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¹ शुद्धोदनस्य प्रमदा प्रधाना नारीसहस्रेष्वथ साप्रमाता—*Lalita-vistara* (ed. by Lefmann) 328. समग्रदेवीनिवस्र्यदेवी बभूव मायापगतेव माया—*Buddhacarita*, i. 15.

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² *Kāmasūtra*, p. 217 (*sūtras* 55, 56).

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³ Ibid, p. 55 (*sūtra* 43).

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⁴ Ibid, pp. 233-4 (*sūtras* 1-5).

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⁵ Ibid, p. 245 (*sūtras* 85-89).

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